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Geriatric and Special Needs Dentistry Certificate Program

The University of Iowa, College of Dentistry is proud to announce an opportunity to earn a graduate certificate in Geriatric and Special Needs Dentistry. This one-year program, in collaboration with disciplines in medicine and psychiatry, will prepare dentists to be leaders and teachers in Geriatric and Special Needs Dentistry. The program blends clinical and didactic experiences across the continuum of aged care, in settings such as acute care, palliative care, rehabilitative care, and long-term care, with experiences in the Geriatric and Special Needs Clinics, the Geriatric Mobile Dental Unit, and St. Luke’s Hospital, as well as at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics.

As a graduate student you will have the opportunity to collaborate with medical residents and other allied health care professionals to provide a holistic approach to providing care for patients who are complex both dentally and medically. As part of working with the Geriatric Mobile Dental Unit, fellows will travel to nursing homes in and around Iowa City to provide onsite dental care with state of the art mobile and portable dental equipment.

Fellows will also have the opportunity to work as part of a team with medically compromised patients who need to be treated in the operating room under general anesthesia. All of these experiences will help facilitate knowledge and skills in providing patient-centered, fundamentally sound and realistic treatment plans for these complex patients. After successful completion of the one-year program, fellows will receive a certificate in Geriatric and Special Needs Dentistry through the University of Iowa, College of Dentistry.

Applicants must have either: 1) received a D.D.S. or D.M.D. degree from an accredited dental school; or 2) graduated from an accepted foreign dental school and had at least 2 years experience, preferably in geriatrics or prosthodontics. The application process includes submission of your CV, a letter of interest, an official academic transcript, 3 letters of recommendation, and a copy of your dental license (prior to beginning the program). A stipend is available.